


War and Peace

by ArgentShiroi



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Drabble Collection, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 11:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10019429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentShiroi/pseuds/ArgentShiroi
Summary: An adventure of two worlds and an epic love story of an assassin and a teacher told in drabbles, double drabbles and half-drabbles. Includes courting, jealousy, betrayals, hate, drama and obligatory caretaking. Not necessarily in that order.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I started playing ToS after a while and decided to finally complete it. I have few drabbles for the second chapter already but I play a bit ahead before posting anything. I'd appreciate if you don’t ask if I will write something about upcoming events as I have no idea what is actually going to happen in the game. I will refer to events of the game and skits too, but I don't plan to retell events of the game.
> 
> This is Raine's pov. I may tell Sheena's version later.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep?” The assassin asked. Others were soundly asleep.

“I’ll sleep when Kratos is awake. This way I can make sure that you don’t murder us when we sleep,” Raine scoffed. The assassin looked ready to cry which was ridiculous. Could anyone that sensitive kill an innocent girl like Colette who was also _going to save the world_?

“I… I wouldn’t,” the assassin sniffed.

“Yeah, Sheena’s not like that!” a weird creature puffed out of nowhere in front of the assassin and glared at Raine who examined the creature carefully. Not dangerous, most likely. She could analyse it later.

“Because trying to kill the Chosen is acceptable?”

“I had to!”

“Why? Though I don’t think that anything could justice your actions.”

“I can’t tell you,” Sheena mumbled weakly.

“And I won’t trust you.” Raine spent the rest of the watch glaring at the duo.

 

**

 

Summoning was lost art! Well, clearly not as lost as she had thought.

Raine wasn’t prepared to believe it even though she had seen how Sh- the assassin formed the pact with Undine. What other lost knowledge could still be found? The assassin was a treasure throve of odd knowledge and Raine ended up soaking every fact she could. How could she not? It was _knowledge_.

Seeing Colette and the assassin walking to the unicorn was the final eye opener. Raine was planning to stay as far away from the creature as possible. She knew what they could to unworthy. The assassin just walked to it with Colette ignoring her warnings.

To Raine’s amazement, horror and relief she hadn’t been stabbed to death. The mixture of feelings was confusing and illogical.

Sheena was a maiden. Innocent. How could an assassin be _innocent_?

Had Raine misjudged the assassin from the beginning?

 

**

 

Raine had no idea why she was left to set up the camp with the She- assassin when Kratos and boys were training. At least it was for only one night. Tomorrow they would be at Tower of Mana. They should look for Boltzman's Book at least, now that they had the unicorn horn. Maybe she’d have time to look around more.

Tents were ready. While Raine wasn’t too keen on sharing the tent, she didn’t object either. Sheena wouldn’t kill them when they slept. She had more prominent matter to think.

“Can you cook?” Raine asked curiously. They had bought food but Raine had no idea how to turn them into something edible. She had few ideas, though.

“Umm, a bit, yes,” Sheena answered. “Is curry okay?”

“Curry?” Raine repeated carefully.

“You don’t have it here?!”

“Here?”

“N-nothing. It’s a recipe from my home.”

“Can you teach me?”

“Sure!”

 

**

 

So, Sheena was an assassin from another world. Raine stared at the moon. It was also called Tethe’alla… Two chosen, two worlds with same stories. How many other things were linked? Or were different?

“May I sit here?” Sheena asked cautiously. Raine nodded. Nothing was said in a long time.

 “Sky is different here. I used to watch stars a lot,” Sheena eventually offered.

“What is different?”

“Well, see that? We don’t have it at all…” Sheena leaned closer and pointed the Sylph constellation. Then Sheena pointed another constellation.

“Are you okay with me?” Sheena asked suddenly.

Raine studied the assassin carefully. They sat closer than they had ever been. Sheena could easily kill her with so little distance. Or she could kiss her. Somehow she doubted that neither would ever happen.

“I am. Why do you ask?”

“I…” Sheena bit her lip and looked away. “Somehow it felt important.”

 

**

 

“Don’t you sleep?” Sheena sounded surprised to see her. Raine nodded and lifted up the book she had been reading so Sheena could read the title. It was about the history of Tethe’alla she had bought earlier from a travelling merchant.

“You know… There’s a lot of things you don’t want to know.”

“Not really,” Raine said dismissively and continued reading.

“Tethe’alla isn’t perfect.”

“Nothing is. Are you referring to something specific?”

“Don’t tell anyone that you’re a half-elf.”

“Why?” Finally, Raine lifted her gaze from the book. Half-elf discrimination wasn’t a new thing.  She was surprised to see desperation on Sheena’s face so openly. Usually the assassin hid her true emotions quite well. Raine had spent a lot of time looking at her and learnt to see a bit.

“Just do it, okay? For me?” Sheena was on the verge of tears.

“Okay.” She couldn’t say no.

“Thank you.”

 

**

 

“Can’t sleep, sensei?” Lloyd had taken the first watch. He sat by the fire and sharpened his blade quietly. Just the way Kratos had taught him.

“Something like that,” Raine agreed and sat next to him. She glanced at the sharpener. It was a gift from Kratos. “Do you think of him often?”

“Kratos? Yes. I _will_ defeat him.”

“I am sure you will,” Raine tried to be supportive. While it wasn’t her strongest skill she had spent hours learning when she started as a teacher.

“Thanks, sensei.” They sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Raine looked at their sleeping team mates. Lately her eyes had wandered to Sheena more often than not. She had been so wrong about her. Raine felt like she should make amends somehow but she didn’t know where to start.

Next to her was Zelos. He snored quietly and mumbled something about his hunnies.  The half-elf felt irritation swallowing her as always when she saw the flirty red-head. Their group had enough love drama already so couldn’t Zelos stop flirting with Sheena for a damn second? He focused on assassin more than Colette and Presea like he was actually serious. It was annoying and… Raine stopped at the thought, horror clearing her mind of everything else. She was jealous!

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, n-nothing. I was just lost in thought.”

“Uh-huh,” Lloyd hummed but said nothing. He had learnt to not ask questions.

Raine swallowed a curse. This couldn’t be happening to her! Not now.

 

**

 

When they were travelling as a small party, it was almost impossible to have private conversations. Usually Raine didn’t mind. She liked knowing a lot of things. Today, however, she just wanted to kill Lloyd slowly and painfully. It was childish but she couldn’t just ignore her feelings either.

You couldn’t become part of Mizuho clan unless you married someone. How could Lloyd be so blind when a gorgeous woman was flirting with him? What made Lloyd so desired choice anyway?

Should she just confess her feelings? She was more experienced than Lloyd and would win him if she had any chance at all.

Besides, what about group dynamics? Their mission was far more important than her feelings. If she was rejected… Things would be tense. And even worse, what if she wasn’t and liking own gender was here even worse crime than in Sylvarant?

She just couldn’t risk everything.

 

**

 

“Raine?” Sheena began uncertainly and tugged professor’s sleeve to slow her down when they were closer to the pier. Lloyd was running to it and getting EC ready.

“What’s wrong?” Raine asked quietly and pointedly ignored suffocating feeling of dread. It’d only worsen when they were on the boat.

“Nothing! I have something for you.”

“What?”

“Umm,” Sheena was blushing and held out a light brown root. “This is ginger. We grow it in Mizuho. It’s used to cure nausea and help to relax. I-in tea. I’m sorry if I overstepped or something! I just- uh, wanted to help? I-I was planning to make a cup before we reach V-Volt.”

“I… thank you.” Raine was also blushing. She was supposed to be mature, experienced, _in control_. She had read books on romance. Why the real thing was so hard?

Besides it might not have been a romantic gesture at all.

 

**

 

Volt had looked ridiculous. That had been the first thought Raine had. She _almost_ missed his words but managed to translate enough for Sheena. She hadn’t been able to help the assassin to deal with her emotions or save Corrine but she was sure to support her now.

“Sheena?”

“Came to mock Corrine some more? He wasn’t just a research subject.”

“I’m sorry…” Raine whispered. “I’m not always the best with words.”

Sheena chuckled weakly and wiped away tears. “I have noticed.”

“Can I make it up to you somehow?” Raine asked quietly. Talking normally felt wrong.

“Yeah,” Sheena whispered and took two steps closer before hugging her. “I miss him.”

“It’s okay,” Raine whispered and wrapped her hands around the younger woman. She wanted nothing more than kiss Sheena and make her feel better. She couldn’t. Not yet, at least. Right now she could only be there for her.

 

**

 

“You have stayed up long lately, sis,” Genis said and sat next to her. They needed rest after Volt. Raine knew it but her mind didn’t. They might have died -again- earlier like Corrine.

“When we were arrested… Did you believe that others would save us?” Raine asked quietly. She hated thinking about it.

“Of course,” Genis said. “Didn’t you?”

Raine said nothing. For a moment she had been sure that they would die.

“Oh… But, you know, we have been so close to death many times so we shouldn’t worry. There’s so much to do.”

“You mean Presea, don’t you?” Raine asked gently, smiling.

Genis blushed. “Umm…”

“She’s lucky girl. I hope she’ll return your feelings, Genis.”

“Uhh, thanks. Don’t you like anyone?”

“I do,” Raine answered after a moment of silence.

“You do? Have you told him? Please don’t say it’s Zelos.”Genis looked disgusten and Raine laughed.

“It’s not. I haven’t told,” Raine said avoiding pronouns. Genis had been too young to remember Raine’s horrendous attempt at dating. It had been a bit of scandal in the village; human girl and a half-elf.

“Why?”

“I-“ Raine thought for a moment. She wanted to tell Sheena. “Maybe I will.”

 

**

 

At the earth temple Sheena proved that she had gotten a lot better. When the so far most ridiculous summon spirit had agreed to form the pact, it was finally time to leave.

“You’re impressive” Raine said quietly when they were setting up the camp for the night. Somehow they were alone again. 

“Wh-I… I am not. You heard him. Mithos did it alone.”

Raine walked in front of the assassin and put her hands on her shoulders. Sheena looked surprised at sudden contact.

“So what? You are _amazing_ ,” Raine said gently and looked straight into her dark eyes.

“B-but… I… Raine…” Sheena was obviously flustered, shivering and breathing heavily. She looked mesmerising.

“No buts, dear,” Raine whispered and glanced at assassin’s lips. This was the moment she had been waiting for. “May I kiss you?”

“Please,” Sheena whispered leaning forward, closing her eyes. Raine met her in the halfway.

 

**

**EXTRA 1: Zelos the God of Love**

 

“Zelos, what the heck?” Genis the brat complained when the red-head had dragged them all away from the camp to the woods. They could still see the camp, though and Zelos ushered them to hide better.

“Just give my hunnies a bit time,” Zelos laughed.

“But Sheena looked down! We should cheer her up!” Lloyd objected.

“Nope,” Zelos said cheerfully. “We leave that for Sensei.”

“But sis dislikes Sheena,” Genis joined Lloyd’s protest.

“Do you seriously think so?” Zelos asked smugly. How thick was the duo? “Nah, believe the Great Zelos-sama, the God of Love.”

“What’s going on, Zelos?” Colette asked in her angelic voice.

“To stay informed, my lovely Colette.”

“So why are we here? And she’s not yours!” Lloyd growled, his hand finding hilt of his sword.

“Something’s happening,” Regal interrupted.

Raine had her hands on Sheena’s shoulders and they were obviously talking about something important. Zelos was grinning. He didn’t care about the talk but this looked promising. Sheena leaned forward and Raine kissed her.

“WHAT?!” Lloyd and Genis both screamed like innocent little girls. Colette aww’ed and both Regal and Presea looked mostly disinterested.  

Zelos cheered; “I knew it. Nothing escapes from the God of Love!”


End file.
